For those of us of the “nothing new under the sun” persuasion, I recommend

 

Uzanne, Octave. The End of Books. Scribner’s Illustrated Monthly, volume XVI, 1894

http://www.uiowa.edu/~obermann/endofbooks/end_of_books01.html

 

This explains in some detail how the printed word will shortly be made redundant by the new technology. The new technology in question being the wax cylinder.

 

Depending on how you look at it Uzanne successfully (if a little prematurely) predicted

 

Books on PDA:

“"There will be registering cylinders as light as celluloid penholders, capable of containing five or six hundred words and working upon very tenuous axles, and occupying not more than five square inches”

 

Television:

“by a system of lenses and reflectors all the figures in action which it will present in photochromo may be projected upon large white screens in our own homes.”

 

Blogging,

“the author will become his own publisher”

 

and even the iPoD:

"At home, walking, sightseeing, these fortunate hearers will experience the ineffable delight of reconciling hygiene with instruction; of nourishing their minds while exercising their muscles; for there will be pocket phono-opera-graphs, for use during excursions".   

 

******************************************

Prof Bruce Royan   www.concurrentcomputing.co.uk

41 Greenhill Gardens, Edinburgh, EH10 4BL,   UK

+44 131 4473151                    +44 77 1374 4731

******************************************

 

From: Chartered Library and Information Professionals [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sarah Bruch
Sent: 28 September 2006 14:44
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: The death of the book!

 

Well, not really but possibly a change to the book as we know it.

 

If you don't already know what i'm talking about have a look at:

 

I've been finding it very interesting reading about how the new eInk works, plus all the comments from people who've actually seen the device.

 

I was wondering if anyone else out there has any opinions on this new generation of eBook readers and how they're going to effect the way we work (if at all).

 

Sarah Bruch

Multidisciplinary Library

Prince Philip Hospital

Dafen

Llanelli

Carmarthenshire

SA14 8QF

 

Tel/Fax: 01554 749301

 

 


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